Cellulite Scrubbing Handmade Hot Process Soap Recipe with Rosemary, Grapefruit & Red Clay
NOTE: This article is a handmade soap recipe made with plant ingredients that help enhance circulation and therefore may help with cellulite. It also smells amazing and helps get rid of dead skin cells so your skin can glow! Homemade body care products are the best!
Cellulite is just something that most women can't avoid---it's part of being a woman! Even if you are thin, you can have cellulite. There is more general information about cellulite in this article. Even though it's such a common problem for women, there are ways to manage it, feel great at the same time, and keep yourself healthy in the process.
One of these ways is to use natural soap with cellulite-fighting ingredients! Yep---the recipe for this hot process soap is filled with ingredients that help tone the skin, increase circulation, and provide an exfoliation benefit.
If you are not familiar with making hot process soap, you can visit this link and this link for very detailed picture tutorials. All of the steps are provided here, but for really complete steps and pictures, those two articles are extremely well-laid out!
You’ll also want my Hot Process Soap Making Checklist (free)! Just complete the form at the end of the article.
FTC Disclosure: There are affiliate links scattered throughout this article. If you click through and make any kind of purchase, I may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you.
Almost every woman has cellulite---even very thin ones! But even though it's common and part of being a woman, nobody really likes dealing with it, right? This soap contains ingredients that reduce the appearance of cellulite, exfoliate, and smells WONDERFUL! Find out how to create your own hot process soap for reducing cellulite!
About the Active Ingredients in this Soap:
Rosemary essential oil increases circulation to your skin, so this helps break down fat pockets! It is also an excellent oil to help unblock lymph blockages, and this will also help with cellulite reduction. A nice addition is that rosemary is great for your brain, helping with alertness and concentration!
Grapefruit has many health benefits. One of the main ways Grapefruit Essential Oil helps to reduce cellulite is that it helps remove toxins from the body and reduce fat cells. Grapefruit essential oil is high in vitamin C, which also helps fight weight gain.
Cedarwood helps with fluid retention and is also a great oil for improving lymphatic drainage.
Patchouli's scent may actually help reduce food cravings. It also helps with fluid retention.
Finely ground (unused) fresh coffee particles are added to this soap to help with circulation to the skin and fat cells. In addition, the caffeine in the coffee helps to firm and tone the skin.
Lemon Essential Oil is also great for added Vitamin C! It's also added because of its lovely and refreshing scent.
French Pink Clay is added to give the soap an excellent slip, a beautiful light pinkish brown color, and it's great for your skin!
You can probably guess already that this soap smells fabulous besides having some very effective ingredients!
Ingredients for Cellulite Soap
Water/Lye Solution:
15 ounces distilled water
7.2 ounces sodium hydroxide (food grade)
Luxury Moisturizing Oils:
15 ounces organic olive oil (I get mine at Costco--it's the least expensive organic EVOO I've found)
15 ounces coconut oil
12 ounces sweet almond oil
6 ounces shea butter
Additions for Color and Function:
1 tablespoon ground coffee
1 ounce Rosemary essential oil
1 ounce Grapefruit essential oil
1/2 ounce Cedarwood essential oil
1/2 ounce Patchouli essential oil
1 tablespoon French Pink Clay
Sources for Supplies
Most of my bulk oils (and essential oils) I purchase through Starwest Botanicals, except for Olive Oil (Costco). I also use Amazon.
The links in this article are a combination of my favorite places to purchase supplies.
Tools You’ll Need to Make Hot Process Soap:
1) A good kitchen scale
2) A large crock pot--the simpler, the better
4) A hand blender
6) safety gloves
7) heat-proof containers for pouring your lye solution
8) silicone soap mold (for a three pound loaf)
9) sharp knife, or a soap cutter
Directions for Making Hot Process Cellulite Soap:
1) First, get your oils (not the essential oils and additives---just the main bulk oils) melting in your crock pot. I always do this first because some of the oils are often solid (shea and coconut oil). Measure out the oils into the crock pot and set to LOW.
2) WEAR YOUR SAFETY EQUIPMENT (SAFETY EYE WEAR, GLOVES, LONG SLEEVE SHIRT) before working with your lye and water solution!
Next, ready your lye solution. ALWAYS measure out using a good kitchen scale for exact measurements. The other ALWAYS is to only pour the lye beadlets into the water---never the other way around. If you pour water onto lye, you could get a chemical mini-explosion that could hurt you. Set the lye solution aside while your oils are melting.
3) Once your oils are melted, gently pour the lye solution into the oil in the crock pot. Add your clay now.
4) Get your hand blender and mix to trace. This will look like pudding once you reach this stage. You should be able to leave peaks in the mixture.
It's just barely starting to cook, here, but you can see what "trace" looks like!
5) Put the lid on the crock pot and let "cook." You will see the mixture go through a few different stages. When it starts rising up the side of the crock pot, just STIR, stir, stir it really well. It will subside down. You may have to give your soap a couple of good stirs.
This picture shows the semi-cooked soap. The saponification process (where the sodium hydroxide turns the oils into actual soap) is happening, but there are still very opaque areas. If these are still in the mixture, then it's caustic!
6) When you notice the mixture has gelled (looks translucent, kind of like vaseline), then it's ready! I always do the "ZAP" test--although some people don't think that's a good idea. I have never had a problem burning myself, even when I have messed up on the soap batch. Basically, you take a small blob, and if it feels waxy, just place it on the tip of your tongue. If you don't get "zapped" then it's a GO!
The "zap" test---I've tried using pH testing, but honestly, for me, this is seriously the best way to make sure your hot process soap is ready to go and no longer caustic.
7) Use a spoon and pour or ladle into your soap mold. Pack it down good, and you will get a much smoother, nicer loaf.
8) After about an hour or two, I like to cut off the top by sliding a sharp knife along the top of the mold. This creates a beautiful, smooth finish that many mistake for cold process.
Soaps cooling down in the molds.
9) Allow to stay in the mold over night.
10) When it's completely cooled down, remove it from the mold. This is the fun part! You get to use it now! Cut it as you wish---If you want to leave it in block form, that's fine! You can cut it into bars any time you want.
Beautiful, great-smelling, effective bars of soap!
I would love to hear your comments on anything! Cellulite? Soap? Making your own? Just leave a comment, question, or thought in the comments section! :-)
You may also enjoy these related articles:
Toxins Lurking in Your Store-Bought Soap
Cold Process vs. Hot Process Soap Making
Goat Milk & Honey Hot Process Soap
And there are LOTS more on the blog!
Hugs, Health, & Self-Reliance!
Heidi
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Disclaimer: I am not a medical doctor, and any statements made in this post or elsewhere on my website is for information purposes only and are simply my own opinion based on experience and study. Please be sure to see a medical professional for any health concerns you may have!